[Don14765]

Your welcome for any support that helps you
Dark…..
Looking forward to
Hearing of your newest success !

[Don14765]

Dark: thanks for your humble, rigorous
Honesty….to me;
I look at 291 days of achieved Sobriety…
And say wow 😮….
You provide hope for people like me
Who are scared /and /or stubborn
To go through
Even a week of cravings or withdrawal symptoms…
By you
Achieving 291 days of sobriety it tells me that it can be done with determination, posting here …and work-
I succeed by surrendering my addiction
And also by NOT betting….
Sounds odd?

Suppose I want to get in better shape, or build my muscles up? Then I have to go to the gym and physically do some work, but with an addiction, it is important not to feed it…..
Or so I’m learning!
I’m thinking you’ll get back on the horse (of sobriety)
And perhaps this time you’ll
Have 365 days of sobriety
Or more !
You are an inspiration to
People like me
Who are lost/ afraid of withdrawal symptoms
Or i may be just plain stubborn (geez)

Head up!
And im
Looking forward to hearing
Day after day of great sobriety!!

[Don14765]

Dark: thanks for your help and advice !

I’d like to admit that I certainly do not do it for fun, my main downfall seems to be these online sports betting sites and of course sometimes my brain tells me that I

have knowledge of certain players, teams, etc. and I should be able to make money at this? And of course a $1200 win last year Just propelled me to keep going 😕
But!!
I have more than put all that $1,200
Back into
These sites …
In losses….
If I am to be honest…
I haven’t won in 6 months….
I perhaps am also chasing the “thrill”
Of a win????!

This type of behaviour that I am doing is certainly not worth the price I am paying😕

Last night I self excluded from the only online gambling sports site I use (other ones owe me money and won’t pay so
I don’t trust them!!) and I am reluctant, but willing to go back into my bank account and find out how much money I spent on this site in the last couple weeks or even a couple months, I don’t want to do it because I am

afraid to see how much money I have lost but I feel it is necessary step to my recovery….

[Don14765]

Marcus, Craig and Kin: amazing
Words of advice….thanks !
I was in gambling help therapy
For a year – weekly meeting..
And my counsellor said the same thing that everyone here says: if you try and control the gambling and are unable to set aside a certain amount of money, ..are
always going over your budget (like me!!)or find that you are being controlled by this terrible gambling addiction …then the best thing to do is to get abstinent for sure…..
Do all
We can to stop gambling ….and take back
Our life…
I am self- excluded from my local Casino…
And yesterday
I self -excluded from an online
Sports gambling site….
It seems the only way ?

I’ve tried relentlessly to “control“ my gambling desires, and yes! I want so bad to be able to enjoy and control my gambling, but I am finding I am unable to do so as I’m constantly spending more money than I desire..
Total abstinence is the key

[Don14765]

Interesting that there are no replies…??
Do we need to be always sober in order
To get a reply?
I am struggling with giving up control
Of gambling …
I want SO bad to be able to control
And enjoy gambling…
I guess that just isn’t possible for an
Addict such
As myself 😒

[Don14765]

1st off …thanks for all your posts..
I find I have the same issues….
I find it really difficult to “let go”
Of the control factor :
I wanna be in control of how much I spend
On gambling, etc …
But every time
I do…gambling always controls ME 😮
Doesn’t help when I win some money…
I get
This feeling I’ll win again
I end up
Spending more in the long run….
I have other hobbies I like…snooker (although there are not too many tables where I live here in Ontario /Canada ….
I used to
Be on a league ….
Anyways …
Thanks for identifying
That we all have
The same desire to control
And enjoy gambling…
But we are unable to do so 😒

[Don14765]

I haven’t posted for a while…
So here goes ….I feel as if I desperately want to be able to control
And enjoy gambling…
Set aside a budget…
Stick to
It….
I try hard to do that …
So, so many games and ways
To
Lose; yes, lose your money
Out there….
I hardly ever win….
Last year I managed to win $1,200
Playing sports
Online …
I truly believe
I’m trying to re- live
That moment and win Again 🙁
Ive
Done nothing but lose last few weeks …
Ive
Probably put back all of that $1,200
That
I “won”
I sometimes fantasize about
How I could quit my job or
But this …or that if I won…..?

I think I gotta realize these sites
And Casinos
Are NOT in business to make me rich 😒

[Don14765]

Rising…
Good for you you’ve gone back to delegating
Your income/money to the bank based on your
Instructions and allowing your family
To take over your finances 🙂

If I might say, I really want to be able to enjoy and control this addiction of gambling, but again and again I find I go over my budgeted amount
Too often…..
Which should tell that there’s no control ..
No matter how
Strongly I may think I can
Have control …
So! Kudos to you for
Realizing you have little to maybe 0 control
Over gambling (if I May say)
And you’ve
Made the very smart move
Of surrendering thoughts
Of gambling
And turning your finances over to your family and your bank ☺️

[Don14765]

Yoyo: I hear you …
I also consider myself a smart /on the ball
Guy…but..
I also seem to have this need to gamble?
I sometimes wonder how I won a bet last year
Worth $1,200
Now..
That doesn’t sound like a lot …
But I don’t make a lot of money..
I live on my own and
Pay for rent, car and insurance…
So $1,000
Is quite a bit to me
I try and budget to gamble as well..
I go over my limit I allow myself
Quite frequently….
These sites I gamble on have money and time limitations….
But I still get out of line
When I am lonely or depressed…
A lot
Of these people on this site have some good sobriety….
They always recommend
Staying away from any type of gambling…
Maybe that’s the ticket to success?

[Don14765]

You’re welcome Rising…
Hope we all can hear/ see another 500
Gamble free days in your postings 🙂
I’m doing not-too bad..
I’m learning the house always has an advantage …
No matter how much
I “think” I can win….
Getting really tired of losing money
I sometimes have to work really
Hard to earn….
I’m writing down
All the losses I’ve amassed
In the last couple weeks …
Over $200 ..
I budget for $40
Per week…not $100:(
Im learning(albeit slowly)
That I can learn to live
Without gambling….

[Don14765]

Rising…sorry you’ve had to reset your date:(
But you made it before to well over a year !
That’s got to say something positive!

You’ve got 3 days behind you already-
That’s a great start !
Keep up the good work !

[Don14765]

Rising: thanks for your concern- I appreciate it when nowadays it’s most difficult to

Know someone who cares about your health..
So- thanks !!
I have a friend I sometimes talk to that triggers me sometimes, what he hears is how much a Lottery is offering …all he can think about is winning that amount of money… but at least I realize myself, how difficult it is to win that kind of money…

The odds are so stacked against me as a gambler it is crazy! I feel like I am almost there, ready to give this up because no matter how hard I try I can’t win …

I try, and try again..
Different methods/lotteries …
All seems to have enormous odds in their favour…
Not for me..the gambler 😯

And no! Do not wanna see you go back to that dark place, there’s just no beating or winning at gambling … The only way to beat this disease is to surrender …and give up …I am slowly but surely realizing that

Thanks so so much for your kind support!

[Don14765]

Rising: thanks for verifying that!
It’s just the biggest problem for me, is to know that this is a “reverse“ actions that is needed to stop gambling?
If I want to get bigger muscles I need to go to the gym and work out hard and have a good diet and have a good mental state as well

If I want to get praise from people I have to work hard, give things to people , listen to them and be a nice person…

But for gambling, the best success is to do nothing? For instance today is Tuesday, January 10, in order for me to be successful today I do nothing, I spend nothing online, I don’t buy any lottery tickets, I don’t go on sports sites …nothing …and I will be successful??

I have a hard time accepting that as I have tried to be successful all my life and all I know is to work really hard… this is a different kind of work if you know what I mean:)

But yes surrender is the key, because no matter how I try and call “beat” gambling …it always seems to come back and take my money and bite me in the end…

[Don14765]

Dark E: Happy new year!
Congrats on day # 88!
I have relapsed many times and lost
Good money as well…
Let’s make this a great 2023
And stay gamble free the best we can 🙂

[Don14765]

Yoyo: yes- you are right ;we should never lose more than we can afford to lose, I am having the same issues you ..very difficult to let go and give this addiction up….

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